Yummy Summer Eats

I've been trying out some new summer-y recipes lately and I thought I'd share some of the favorites from our house! A few are ones that I made up, but the rest are from random places. I noted any changes that I made to the original recipe and included a link so you can check it out for yourself!

Nectarine and Plum Tarts
(via Me)

one sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter cut into 12 pieces
2 nectarines
2 plums

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Cut puff pastry into 12 equal rectangles and place on baking sheet. Core and thinly slice fruit, placing in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon to bowl. Toss.

3. Place one slice of nectarine and one slice of plum on each square of puff pastry. Top with butter and sprinkle extra cinnamon sugar over top. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until pastry is puffy and golden brown.

Pork Tenderloin with Maple Garlic Glaze**
(via AllRecipes.com)

2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

1. Combine mustard, sesame oil, garlic, pepper and maple syrup. Place pork in a shallow dish and coat thoroughly with marinade. Cover, then chill in the refrigerator at least eight hours, or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sear tenderloin on all sides in a large, oven-safe skillet. Pour marinade over pork and transfer skillet to oven. Roast for 20 minutes or until pork reaches internal temperature of 145 degrees.

**I added a bunch of olive oil to my marinade, totally did not marinate for 8 hours and didn't grill my pork as the original recipe directed.

Zucchini Gratin
(via the Neely's)

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 zucchini, sliced into half moons (I used 2 HUGE ones and 1 yellow squash)
2 plum tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves (I used dried)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup half and half (I used skim milk)
1/4 cup grated white Cheddar (I used mexican blend)
1/4 grated Parmesean

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8 x 8-inch casserole dish (I used a 9 x 13-inch dish).

2. In a large heavy bottomed saute pan over medium heat, melt butter. Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add zucchini and tomatoes, about 7 minutes. Add thyme and flour. Season with salt and pepper. Add mixture to the buttered casserole dish.

3. In a medium sized bowl, add brown sugar, eggs, and half and half. Season with salt and pepper. Pour milk mixture over the zucchini and sprinkle with both of the cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes.

Pork Tortas**
(via Cooking Light Magazine)

1/2 the Maple Garlic Glazed Pork Tenderloin, sliced thinly
1 (12 oz) baguette, cut in half horizontally
1/2 cup canned pinto beans
2 tablespoons refrigerated fresh salsa
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used sliced Cheddar Jack because its what I had)
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1 large tomato, cut into 8 slices
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 ripe peeled avocado, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices

1. Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 3/4-inch-thick shell. Place bread halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 2 minutes or until golden brown.

2. Place beans and salsa in a small bowl; mash with a fork until almost smooth. Spoon bean mixture into the bottom half of baguette. Top with pork and cheese. Place sandwich bottoms back under broiler to melt cheese.

3. Top sandwiches with onion, tomato, jalapeno, avocado and top half of baguette. Cut into 4 pieces. Yield: 4 servings)

**Please note that for this recipe I used leftover pork tenderloin, so the nutritional information and my directions are a bit different than what they have on their site.

My Special Apple Chicken Salad
(via Me)

1 large or 2 small chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 Braeburn apple, cored and chopped
1 package fresh spinach
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped dates
2 tablespoons fresh goat cheese
cayenne-citrus dressing

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Enjoy!

Cayenne-Citrus Dressing
(via Me)

juice of 2 oranges
juice of one lime
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl (or dressing container with lid). Whisk (or shake) until mixed. Pour over salad and enjoy!

I hope you get a chance to try some of these out and enjoy them as much as my family and friends have!

What are some of your favorite summer-time recipes?